Kiln



Ngv. 25, '1930. J. A. WORDEN 1,783,030

KILN

Filed June 24, 1929 2 Shoots-Sheet l 1N ENToR. /ma @a 01604:-, BY

Nov. 25', 193.0v

KILN

J. A. WORDEN `1,783,030

Filed June 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 24 Vl @UNI [NF4 n 'A INVENTOR.

)Ww *me A TTORNEYJ Patented Nov. 25, 1930 'PATENT OFFICE JAMES ALLENWORDEN, 4OIE' ANTIGO, WISCONSIN KILN Application led June 24,

' 10 tions, and perfect drying and seasoning of the lumber does notresult, and` checking is apt to occur.

In the present invention va closed circuit of air is utilized, and saidair is heated'prior to its introduction into the kiln proper, and thehot air carying conduits are .gradually diminished in cross-sectionalarea away from the heating unit, and the flue vents into theV kilnproper are increased in. size as their distances from the heating unitincreases, With the result that throughout the entire length of the kilnthe heating medium is discharged into the kiln proper with as littlepressure and temperature variance as is possible. Also, the cold air orreturn conduits increase in cross-sectional area toward the heating unitto'accommodate'the incoming cooled air and to maintain a constantpressure. Hence, through this arrangement, the present invention aims atthe elimination of the abovementioned objection by maintaining a dryingmedium of a constant temperature and pressure in any portion of thekiln, whereby satisfactorily dried and seasoned lumber Will result. l

A further object of the invention is to rovide a lumber kiln which Willreceive lum erloaded flat cars and which may be readily divided intoindividual compartments, if desired.` .i

A further object of the invention is to provide a lumber kiln which isof very simple construction, is relatively inexpensive to build 'andoperate, is eflicient, is strong and durable, and is Well adapted forthe purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists of the improved kiln,-

and its parts and combinations asset forth in the claims, and allequivalents thereof.

1929. Serial No. 373,338.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference charactersindicateV the same parts in all of the views: Y

Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view of the improved kiln;

Fig. 2 is a Cross-sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

, Fig. 4: is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 1 -4 of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring noW `more particularly to the drawings,it will appear that thenumeral 8 indicates an enclosure mounted on foundation or supportingmembers 9 and forming the main kiln structure, said structure being"elongated and of a height sufficient to accommodate therewithin piles oflumber or lumber-piled flat cars. Vithin said kiln structure are one ormore longitudinally extending platforms 10 carrying spaced car rails ortracks 11 on which fiat cars 12 are adapted to travel.

An enclosure 13 adjoins the main kiln structure and extends lengthwiseof one side thereof. Vithin said enclosure 13 is a heating chamber 14containing heating coils 15 through which a heating medium iscirculated. One end Wall of the heating chamber is provided with acircular opening 16 in which is mounted a fan 17 enclosed bythe endportion of a hot air flue 18 which ter minutes at the heating chamberand sur'- rounds the fan opening 16.

As shown clearly in Fig. 1, the hot air flue 18 is formed with a 'rightangular bend and the major portion of said flue extends transversely tothe kiln structure at the in- 90 ner end thereof and below the platforms10. Below each platform 10 is a longitudinally extending hot air conduit19 and -said conduits open at their inner ends into the transverseportion of the flue 18. Said con- 95 duits 1,9, as illustrated in Figs.3 and 4, are relatively deep at their inner end ortions and the bottommembers of said con( nits are inclined upwardly toward the rear or outerend of the kiln structure, whereby the conduits are of rearwardlydecreasing depth, and the cross-sectional area of the same, of course,rearwardly decreases.

Each platform 1() is provided with spaced apart hot air outlet openings20, and as shown in Fig. 1, the size of said outlet openings of eachline is rearwardly increased.

rIhe result of the arrangement thus far described is that air is heatedwithin the heating chamber 14 by the coils and the heated air is drawnout of the heating chamber by the fan 17 and is forced through the hotair flue 18, from whence it passes into the hot air conduits 19. At thefront or ina ner ends of the conduits the pressure is the greatest, andtherefore, smaller outlet openings 20 are required to discharge anadequate amount of hot air into the kiln proper. Also, within theforward end portions of said conduits enough heating medium must beretained to supply the remaining portions of the conduits, and hencesaid conduits are enlarged at their forward ends and gradually arereduced toward their rear ends. As the hot air passes through thegradually reduced portions of said conduits the pressure thereondecreases and the outlet openings 20 are progressively larger todischarge heated air into portions of the kiln proper. Also the supplyof hot air within said conduits is gradually reduced and therefore thesize of the conduits therefor may be reduced and the reduction in thesize of the conduits will increase the pressure on the air therein. Thisarrangement, therefore, tends to equalize. as much as is possible, theamount, temperature and pressure of air admitted into the kilnthroughout various portions of its length, whereby lumber within thekiln will be effectively dried and seasoned and will not check.

Between the platforms 10 and along the outer sides thereof are cooledair return conduits 21. which conduits are open at their tops, and theirbottom walls are rearwardly or outwardly.l downwardly inclined, wherebythe cross sectional area of each conduit 21 is gradually increasedtoward the rear end of the kiln. As shown in Figs. 3 and ai., theinclination or taper of the conduits 21 is exactly opposite to that ofthe conduits 19. As the air cools within the kiln it sinks and willenter adjacent portions of the conduits 21 as the circulation thereinestablishes a suction. Obviously, toward the rear of the kiln there is agreater amount of air to be accommodated by the conduits 21 for re'-turn, and hence the increase in their size. The conduits 21 open attheir rear end portions into a transverse cooled air Aiiue 22 whichunderlies the rear end portions of the platforms 10, and said flue Q2extends into the enclosure 13 with a right angularly bent i 1 f rein,and a Hue portion 22 enters a side of the heating chamber 14 opposite tothe outlet side.

In the improved kiln, the principle of a closed circuit of a fluid isutilized and the circulation is kept active by the fan 17 which forcesthe heating medium from the chamber 14 into the flue 18 and conduits 19`and causes cooled air to be drawn into the conduits 21, and through thesame and the fines 22 and 21 back to the heating chamber for reheating.

It will be noted that the front of the kiln structure` coincident withthe platforms 10, is provided with hinged doors 23 to allow the passageof the flat cars 12 therethrough on the tracks 11. A plurality of flatcars having green lumber piled thereon may be received within the kiln,and each flat car is preferably stationed over an opening 20.

If desired, the interior of the kiln may be divided into separatecompartments by means of canvas curtains 24, slidably depended at spacedintervals froml rods Q5. When not in use, said curtains may be pushedaside so as not to restrict longitudinal travel with- `in the kilnstructure.

It is to be understood that the improved kiln is not to be limited onlyto the conditioning of lumber and forest products, but it may also beused for the drying of celutex and other organic and inorganicmaterials, as well as for the hydration and dehydration or conditioningof chemicals, minerals and other products and materials.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved lumberkiln is of simple and novel construction, and is well adapted for thepurposes set forth.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a kiln, an enclosure, a heating unit thereadjacent, an outletflue, a return flue, said fines extending between opposite ends of saidenclosure and the heating unit, and a pair of conduits extended betweensaid lines and communicating with the same and with the interior of theenclosure, said conduits being oppositely tapered.

2. In a kiln, an enclosure, a heating unit thereadjacent, a warm airflue, a cooled air return flue, said flues extending between oppositeends of the enclosure and the heating unit and in communication with thelatter', a warm air conduit extending lengthwise of the enclosurebetween said flues and communicating with the warm air flue, thecrosssectional area of said warm air conduit being gradually decreasedfrom the warm air flue to the return flue, said conduit also be.-

ing formed with spaced apart discharge openings increasing in size fromthe warm air flue to the return Hue, and a cooled air return conduitparalleling the first-mentioned conduit and connected with the returnflue and being gradually increased in crosssectional area from the Warmair flue to the return flue, saidA cooledairconduit havin van theenclosure at 'any` o int; along elongated opening .to admit cooled air.rom rits length.

3. 'In' afkiln', enc osl'lre having an elongated platform therein,azheatin' -unit vadjacent said enclosure, Yafwa'rm air' ue, a cooled e'air return flue, said iiues extending"betweenv opposite ends 'of the'enclosureandutheheatl ing unit and in communication with; the lat`` ter,a warm air conduit underl ing said'platform ando ening at oneend-,portion intov said warm a1r ue,'there being'spaced-apart dischargeopenings in said platform and conin size toward duitprogressively'ncreasm thereturn Hue, said conduit vei'ng graduallydecreased in cross-,sectional area toward said return'ue, and acooledair flue on each side of said platform and havin' openings.therein for the admissi on- -0fj` coo edyairvfrom said enclosure, saldcooled an condults .extending between bothlues` and opening at theirrear ends into said returnue at the opposite .end of the kiln fromthe'connections between the warm air ue'andwarmairconduit, and 25 saidcooled. air conduits being gradually increased in cross-sectional areatoward the return flue. Y l Y f 4. A lumber kiln, comprising an,enclosure having an elongated, tracked platform therein, removabletransverse partitions within said enclosure to divide the interior oftheY same into compartments, a heating unit adjacent saidfenclosure; awarmair flue, a cooled air return flue,saiduesextending between oppositeends offtheenclosure andthe heat- Y ing unit and yin communication with"thelat- D yform and opening lat; onej'en 'decreasedl in cross-sectionalareatoward said returnflue, anda cooled air -flue'on each-side of'saidplatform and-having in zfor the admission :of cooled Aair from said"lenclosure, ysaidV cooled air conduits extending between both luesandopening at'thei'r rear ends into said return Hue and said oled airconduits being gradually increased in crosssectional area towardthereturn flue. In testimonyl whereof, I laiix my signature. JAMESALLENl WORDEN.

openings there-

